Improvement in car-couplings



Oar Coupling. 110.110,580. Patented Deo/27. 1870.

7% j@ 1X wxg anni (tithe WILLIAM HENRY MEADOWS, OF. MCMINNVILLE, TENNESSEE.

f' y Letters Patent No. 110,580, datedfDecember 27, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT lN CAR-COUPLINGS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making of the same.

To allwwm @may concern: To keep nie .Locks D ina. straight une whenihe Be it known that IW1LLIAM HENRY MEADOWS, of McMinnville, in the county of fari-en and' State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGouplings for Railroad-Gars; and I do hereby declare that the .following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing ot' the same, which makes part of this specitication, and in which- Figure l represents a side elevation of the device for coupling two cars together, embracing my improvements 5 Figure 2 represents a vertical section;

Figure 3 represents a top view;

Figure .4 represents a bottom view of one couplin device 5' and Figure 5 represents a front view of the same.

My invention relates to'devices for coupling rail road-cars; and

Its object is to obtain a device that will readily effect its own coupling, be uncoupled with ease and without danger, and to yield to the lateral motions ot the cars, without endangering the uncoupling of the the platform ot' the car, and a lower arm, B, to the `front end of which the-bumper O is secured.

The bumper is an open frame, tted between guides a, fastened to or formed on the front end of the arm B, so as to have a sul'licient horizontal motion to break the forcerot the striking of the cars against each other in effecting a coupling.

The upper front portion ot' the bumper is inclined upward, so as to form a way', b, over which the coupling-hook D slides. p

Ihecoupling-hook D projects forward from one side of each bumper C, so as to strike upon and be received by the inclined face b of the latter, and thus pass each other in making the coupling, the front ends of said hooks heilig curved, so as to ride over the inclined faces b, and hook withthe rear side of each bumper C, as shown in figs. l` and 2.

In order to allow the hooks.v D to accommodate themselves to the swayinggdateral motion of each car, they are hinged to supplementary plates E, which are secured, by strong pivot-bolts c, to the cars'are unconpled, I secure the free end of thepiv-v otedsupplemental plate E to the bumper-frame by means ot' a spring, F, the force of which tends constantly to hold the hook D in a line with the length ot' the car, while, at the same time, it can move sidewise against the force of said spring.

The bumpers, 'being arranged to have a slight hori-v zontalY movement,v are also provided with rubber springs, e, arranged between the endsY of the guideframe a and the inner sides ot' each end of thel bumper-frame, so as to yield not only with the sudden pull of the bumper-l1ook,bnt also with the sudden contact ot thecars.

The hooks D effect the coupling by their weight; but, in order to uncouple them to detach the cars from each other, I connect each hook. with an arm,ff, of a hand-crank rod, vg, by means of a'chain, h, so that, when the arm f is elevated, the chain 71. will pull up the hook D above thebumper, and leave the cars free to be separated.

rIhe unconpling' crank-rod g is secured iu bearings t',

beneath the upper plate A,and is provided with a hand-arm, j, at each end, by which it may be operated from either side of the car. t

Whenuncoupled, the weightsof the hook D and that of the lifting-arms j will always be sutleient to cause the hook to descend and maintain a position to be in readiness to couple itself when the cars are again brought together.

The arm f, that connects with the hook D, is prevented from descending too f'ar by means of a stop, k, depending from the top frame A, so that the hook can only be unco'upled by turning the arm f upward.'

The springs e o f' the bumper C may be held in position by means of' guide-pins u, projectingfrom the ends of the supporting and guiding-bar B, as shown in fig. 2. t

Having described my invention,

1. The supplemental carrying-plate E of the Coupling-hook D, hinged to the bumper G, andheld in position by a spring, F, in the manner and for the pur pose described.

2. 'The combination and arrangement ofthe frame A B, bumper C, and its springs e, hook D, pivoted carrying-plate E, and its spring F, allarranged and` operating as described.

, In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed-my bumpers C, upon which they are Yfree to turn latername. ally with their hooks, and thereby allow the latter WM. HENRY MEADOWS. to bend or turn sidewise, to conform to the side vibrations of the cars, and in this way relieve the hinges Witnesses:

oflthe hooks of all lateral strain without interfering with their vertical movement to be locked and unlocked with their bumpers. y

SAM. HENDERSON, H. H. FAULKNER.' 

